Blog
Fault codes, sensors and the tricks of diagnostics: what the codes mean, where to start checking and why a cheap adapter sometimes lets you down.
Limp mode: the car will not go faster than 60
The revs will not climb, the pedal does nothing, the speed hits a ceiling. That is not a broken gearbox — it is protection.
5 September 20263 min
Fault code P0016: camshaft and crankshaft out of sync
The code sounds worse than it is in half the cases. But it must be checked before you drive on.
4 September 20262 min
P0401: the EGR valve is cleaned more often than replaced
Insufficient recirculation flow. In most cases that is soot, not a dead part.
4 September 20263 min
Fault code P0128: the thermostat or the sensor
The engine never reaches operating temperature. The part is cheap, but replacing it blind is still a bad idea.
4 September 20263 min
A blinking Check Engine, not a steady one: the difference
A steady lamp means «look into it soon». A blinking one means «stop». Two different messages, and the difference is expensive.
4 September 20262 min
The MAF sensor: signs of wear and a live-data check
A mass air flow sensor lies gradually. The car still drives, just worse — and the numbers show it before you feel it.
4 September 20263 min
The oxygen sensor: telling from live data that it is tired
The sensor rarely dies outright. Far more often it answers slowly — and live data shows it.
4 September 20263 min
Clearing a fault code: what "erase" actually does
The button turns the lamp off; it does not fix the car. And it erases exactly what the mechanic needed.
4 September 20263 min
ELM327 will not connect: a checklist in order
Nine causes, most common first. Eight of them are fixed without buying another adapter.
4 September 20264 min